Sanjay Dutt consults Islamic law expert

The Bollywood star and his "wife" Manyata were in Delhi to seek help from Islamic law specialist on the controversy over their wedding.

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and his "wife" Manyata were in New Delhi over the weekend to seek help from Islamic law specialist and member of Law Commission of India Tahir Mahmood on the controversy over their wedding.

Mahmood on Monday confirmed that Dutt along with his wife Manyata had consulted him in Delhi on Saturday "exclusively" on matters related to their marriage but refused to divulge any details.

Dutt married Manyata as per Hindu rites on February 11 and their wedding ran into a controversy after a Mumbai undertrial, Meraj Rehman, made bigamy allegations claiming that he was Manyata's husband.

A court in Mumbai had earlier asked the local police to translate some Urdu documents pertaining to bigamy allegations made by Rehman.

Police recorded Maulana Abul Hassan Rahi Qazi's statement on February 23 in which he had stated that Manyata and Meraj were married on April 5, 2003 but a few months later she approached Qazi to dissolve their marriage.

In her statement to police, Manyata agreed with Qazi's version and said her husband Meraj did not treat her well and was abusive. Three divorce notices were sent to Meraj but he responded to none.

The Qazi, who had earlier solemnised their marriage under the Muslim Personal Law, later dissolved it on November 21, 2003 as Meraj did not respond to the three notices.